Saturday, February 07, 2009

The basic proportions of this pate are one part foie gras fat and one part lard, mixed together, to two parts thrush mousse. A dozen thrush are needed to make four small terrines to serve four or five people.

Clean the thrush and leave the livers inside. Discard six of the gizzards so the pate won't be too bitter. Put the thrush through a meat grinder, bones and all. Add salt, pepper, juniper berries and one-third of the fat and lard mixture to the ground thrush and cook for three hours in a bain marie.

While hot, put the mousse through a fine strainer to catch any remaining bits of bone. Mix in the rest of the fats without working too much or the pate may become tough. Allow this to cool slightly and spoon into the terrines. Cover with lard to preserve it. The pate should be eaten with triangles of hot toast."

Or with Dramamine, depending on how you feel about eating whole ground up birds.